Islam

History, Beliefs, and Practices

Identity: Along with Christianity and Judaism, one of three monotheistic world religions. The
Arabic word Islam (derived from a Semitic root meaning “peace”) expresses entry into
peace and security with God (Allah) through submission or surrender of one’s whole life
to his will. An adherent of Islam is properly identified by the term Muslim.

Founder: Muhammad ibn (son of) Abd Allah. A Muslim would claim that Muhammad did not
begin the religion but only transmitted its eternal message as it was revealed to him.

Statistics: Over 1.2 billion of the world’s population would identify themselves as Muslim.1 The
Muslim population in the U.S. is disputed, ranging from 5 to 8 million.

History: Muhammad was born in Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula about the year 570 AD.
Orphaned at six, he was raised by family members. Pagan religions, in which many gods
were worshipped (especially sun, moon, and star gods), dominated the spiritual life of the
region.2 Later Muslims referred to this period prior to Muhammad, regarded as immoral,
as a time of darkness. Because of some Christian and Jewish settlements that were
scattered throughout Arabia, and due to caravan routes that passed through Mecca,
Muhammad came into contact with Christian and Jewish teachings that would later find
their way into the Qur’ān—though often, from a Christian and Jewish perspective, in
distorted form.

At the age of 40, while retreating into a cave outside Mecca for an extended period of
meditation, Muhammad claimed that the angel Gabriel visited him and issued the call to
be Allah’s prophet. The revelations continued until Muhammad’s death in 632 A.D. and
would eventually be recorded in the Qur’ān (a word that literally means the “reading” or
the “reciting”). Upon receiving these revelations, Muhammad began to preach the
message received in them. They are summed up in the shahādah, the simple confession
of faith that is the first of the Five Pillars of Islam (see below): “There is no God but
Allah, and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah.” By such preaching Muhammad
narrowed the focus of the Arab world from many gods to one god, Allah. However, his
preaching of monotheism in the face of pagan idolatry also included a call to repentance
from pagan immorality.

For several years Muhammad met great opposition to his message. Finally, leaders of the
town of Yathrib, where some of his followers had already settled, invited him to live
there. The town was later renamed Medina, the “city of the prophet,” to honor him. His
flight from Mecca and his arrival in Medina took place in 622 A.D. and would become
known as the hijra— an event marking the beginning of the Muslim calendar. Over the
next few years, Muhammad and his followers began to plunder rich caravans and to
conquer one small town after another. This accumulation of wealth and power enabled
Muhammad to return in conquest to Mecca in 630 A.D. and to bring almost all of Arabia
under submission to the religion of Islam by the time of his death in 632 A.D. Over the

1
Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, ed. Eileen W. Linder (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005),17.
2
See Roland E. Miller, Muslim Friends:Their Faith and Feeling—An Introduction to Islam (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House,
1995), 80-85. Some modern scholars maintain that Muhammad took many teachings of the Qur’an and the practices of the Islamic
culture from the life of the tribal society of pre-Islamic Arabia. E.g., Robert A. Morey states: “The pagans of pre-Islamic Arabia
taught that everyone should bow and pray toward Mecca at certain times during the day. Everyone should also make a pilgrimage to
Mecca to worship at the Kabah at least once in his life.” Islam Unveiled, The True Desert Storm (Shermans Dale, PA: The Scholars
Press, 1991), 40-41.
 2

next one hundred years, Islam as a religion and as a political and cultural force extended
from the western edges of India and China across Persia, Arabia, Egypt, and North Africa
to the Atlantic. The defeat of Muslim armies at Tours, France, in 732 A.D. prevented any
further movement into Europe, although the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century spread
Islam into Turkey, southern Russia, and reached as far as Austria.

Texts: Qur’ān. The final recording of the revelations given to Muhammad by Gabriel and
believed to be the eternal, infallible, and unalterable word of God which Allah first
inscribed on a stone tablet in heaven before the creation of the world.3 Portions of the
“recitations” of Muhammad’s preaching were recorded by his followers, and others were
passed on orally. In the year 650 A.D. under the direction of Caliph Uthman, the Qur’ān
was collected into its final form. Said to be written in perfect Arabic, it contains 114
sūrahs (chapters), generally arranged according to length from the longest to the shortest.

Hadīth. “A story or tradition; the sayings and doings of Muhammad that constitute a
second source of faith in Islam; also the sayings and doings of the first companions of the
Prophet.”4 Hadīth became the source of additional instruction for life in the ummah, the
community of Islam. Where the Qur’ān does not speak or give directions for a specific
life situation the Hadīth is looked to for guidance.

Shar’īah. While not a text as such, the Shar’iah (the Law of Islam) combines the Qur’ān
and the Hadīth along with other accumulated laws and codes of ethics as the perfect
revelation of God’s will for humankind. In countries where Islam is the dominant
religion, all of life is governed by this revelation of God’s will. The Shar’īah binds
Muslims into the truly Islamic community, allowing no separation of the sacred from the
secular.

Beliefs and Practices

The essential practices of Islam are known as The Five Pillars of Islam, which are the religious duties or
works of righteousness that constitute the fundamental requirements of Islam for all Muslims.5

Shahādah. As noted above, this is the basic confession of faith recited many times daily
by the devout Muslim: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the prophet of
Allah.” Anyone of any country, race, or status in society who can consciously and
solemnly confess this creed as expressing the truth of what one believes is considered to
be a Muslim. The first part of the creed declares that God is one (hence, Islam is
monotheistic). Allah is the one Creator, Provider, Ruler, Forgiver, and Judge who alone
is worthy of worship as the sole object of a person’s loyalty and devotion. God has
created man capable of doing his will and being righteous before him. In confessing that
there is no God but Allah, the Muslim also commits himself to doing God’s will as
revealed in the Shar’īah.

The second part of the creed sums up the Muslim doctrine of revelation. To confess that
Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah is to confess that the verses of the Qur’ān are indeed

3
‘Abdullah Yusuf ‘Ali, The Meaning of the Holy Quran (Beltsville, MD: amana publications, 2001), 43:2-4. These verses of the
Qur’an reference the “Mother of the Book” in the presence of Allah that Allah made a “Qur’an in Arabic.” Islam would maintain that
it is not possible to give a perfect rendition of the meaning of the Qur’ān. A proper study of the Qur’ān can be done only in the
original Arabic. However, to accommodate non-Muslims and converts to Islam who do not read Arabic, English translations with
commentary are made available. 43:2-4 identifies the sūrah (chapter) and the verse referenced here. Future quotations will be
similarly referenced. The Qur’ān translation referenced is in verse form with some words remaining capitalized as per the original
translation.
4
Miller, 403.
5
The order in which the Pillars are listed in some sources varies. For example, in Roland Miller’s Muslim Friends fasting is the third
Pillar and almsgiving, the fourth.
 3

the very words of Allah whose directives for life are to be strictly followed. Since
Muhammad is regarded as the final Prophet of God, the deeds and other sayings from his
life (hadīth) are also to be emulated as a guide for living. The shahādah is the
foundational confession of Islam. For centuries it has served as a rallying cry to inspire
intense devotion to Islam and also as the evangelistic call to other religions to give up
what is perceived as idolatry and become part of the perfect community of Islam.

Salāt. Ritual prayer performed five times a day at daybreak, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset,
and before retiring is the second pillar. It is a structured act of worship composed of
prescribed ritual washings and portions of the Qur’ān that are to be recited in Arabic.
The first sūrah is always recited. Utmost devotion is required by the Qur’ān: “Guard
strictly your (habit) of prayers, especially the Middle Prayer; and stand before Allah in a
devout (frame of mind).”6 Every Friday Muslims are required to perform salāt in a
communal setting. This salāt is led by an imam (teacher) who delivers a message that
applies Islamic teachings to daily life. The purpose of salāt is self-attunement to the call
of God.

Zakāt. Almsgiving is the third pillar. The word means “sweetening.” Islam regards all
wealth as belonging to God. Therefore, the use of one’s wealth needs to be made just,
worthy, “sweet.” Making wealth “sweet” takes place by zakāt, the law that requires
every Muslim to share 2 ½% of his total wealth with the Islamic state for distribution to
the needy and for the cause of Islam. Muslims may participate in additional almsgiving
by voluntarily giving financial support to other causes of their choice. “So establish
regular Prayer, give regular Charity, and hold fast to Allah!”7

Sawm. Fasting is the fourth pillar. The month of Ramadan, in which Muhammad
received his first revelation and call to be the Prophet of Allah, is devoted to daily fasting.
Every adult Muslim is required to abstain from food, drink, and sexual intercourse from
dawn to sunset each day for the entire month. Temporary exemptions are made for
certain life situations. The purpose of the fast is two-fold: to increase one’s self-
discipline in the service and for the praise of Allah, and to increase compassion for the
poor and needy. “Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’ān, as a
guide to mankind,… So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month
should spend it in fasting,…”8

Hājj. The pilgrimage to Mecca—the fifth pillar—during the first to the twelfth days of
the last month of the lunar year is required of every adult Muslim who has earned the
wealth needed for the trip, paid zakāt on that wealth, and has taken care of all debts. The
pilgrimage includes: a visit to the great mosque, kissing the Black Stone (said to be of
meteoric origin), circling the Kabah (building in the center of the great mosque in Mecca)
seven times, and progression through various stations for prayer and meditation. The
pilgrimage’s purpose is to strengthen a Muslim’s faith and reaffirm his oneness with all
Muslims throughout the world. “Remember We made the House a place of assembly for
men and a place of safety; and take ye the Station of Abraham as a place of prayer; and
We covenanted with Abraham and Isma’il, that they should sanctify My House for those
who compass it round, or use it as a retreat, or bow, or prostrate themselves (therein in
Prayer).”9

Jihād. While not one of the five required pillars of Islam, jihād has become a
well-known practice of Islam. The word means “striving” or “struggle” and

6
2:238
7
22:78
8
2:185
9
2:125. “House” is a reference to the Kabah, the House of Allah. Its foundation goes back in Arab tradition to Abraham.
 4

summarizes all of the personal mental, spiritual, and physical striving that a
Muslim must do to learn and practice Islam fully. “Only those are Believers
who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and have never since doubted,
but have striven with their belongings and their persons in the cause of
Allah….”10 However, in a narrower and more communal sense, jihād is the
striving of holy war. Its purpose is to extend Islam into non-Islamic territories
or to defend Islam from danger. Jihād is not considered lawful unless it
involves the summoning of unbelievers to belief. Those who die in a genuine
jihād are considered to be martyrs who have earned special merit that qualifies
them to enter paradise directly. “Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in
fight), smite them at their necks… But those who are slain in the way of Allah--
He will never let their deeds be lost. Soon He will guide them and improve their
condition, and admit them to the Garden which He has announced for them.”11

In addition to the five pillars of Islam which describe the basic requirements placed upon every Muslim,
certain fundamental beliefs characterize the faith of Islam. These articles of faith revolve around Allah,
angels, prophets, holy books, and the day of judgment.

Allah. Islam is a monotheistic religion that teaches there is only one God, Allah, who is
described in every sūrah of the Qur’ān except one as the Compassionate and the
Merciful. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all life. He is transcendent and his
sovereignty and power set him apart from man.

Angels. Angels are viewed as servants or messengers of God. In the hierarchy of angels
Gabriel is prominent since he revealed the Qur’ān to Muhammad. Gabriel is, at times,
equated with the Holy Spirit.12 Iblīs (Satan) is the angel who was put out of Paradise
because, according to Sūrah 7:11-18, he refused Allah’s command to the angels to
prostrate themselves before Adam. According to tradition, each Muslim is said to have
two recording angels to write down his good deeds and his evil deeds.

Prophets. The prophets are merely human messengers through whom God speaks to
mankind. All the prophets are considered to be divinely inspired, but only six are
considered to be most eminent and given titles of honor in Islamic literature: Adam, the
chosen of Allah; Noah, the preacher of Allah; Abraham, the friend of Allah; Moses, the
speaker of Allah; Jesus, the word of Allah; Muhammad, the apostle of Allah.
Muhammad is considered the greatest and final prophet to whom was given the perfect
and complete revelation of Allah. Therefore, no further word from Allah and no
additional prophet are needed.13

Holy Books. Muslims accept the tawrāt (Torah) as originally revealed by God to Moses,
the zabūr (Psalms) as originally revealed to David, and the injīl (Gospel) as originally
revealed to Jesus.14 However, these three revelations as presently recorded in the Bible
are viewed as having become corrupted and no longer reliable for the full truth revealed
by Allah. The Qur’ān alone is the final and complete authentic word of God for the

10
49:15
11
47:4-6
12
The Meaning of the Holy Quran, 104. In footnote 292-A, the editors indicate that a reference in Surah 2:253 to the Holy Spirit given
to Jesus to strengthen Him “according to commentators signifies Gabriel.”
13
See the following in the Qur’ān for an overview of the role and purpose of the prophets, for Jesus as merely a messenger of Allah,
for Muhammad as a messenger of Allah and Seal of the Prophets: 3:33, 81-84; 6:83-90; 19:41-58; 5:75; 33:40; 48:28-29.
14
In his translation of and commentary on the Qur’ān, ‘Abdullah Yusuf ‘Ali writes: “The Injil spoken of by the Qur’ān is not the New
Testament. It is not the four Gospels now received as canonical. It is the single Gospel which, Islam teaches, was revealed to Jesus,
and which he taught. Fragments of it survive in the received canonical Gospels…. Muslims are therefore right in respecting the
present Bible (New Testament and Old Testament), though they reject the peculiar doctrines taught by orthodox Christianity or
Judaism. They claim to be in the true tradition of Abraham, and therefore all that is of value in the older revelations, it is claimed, is
incorporated in the teaching of the Last of the Prophets.” Appendix III, 292.
 5

present and the future until the Day of Judgment. Where the Qur’ān and the Bible differ
in what they teach the Bible is to be rejected and the Qur’ān accepted.

Day of Judgment. The concept of a final Day of Judgment or Day of Reckoning is a

central teaching of the Qur’ān. This belief centers on the teaching that while Allah is the
Compassionate and the Merciful, he is also the Judge of all mankind. God is aware of
man’s thoughts and actions, for which a man is responsible to God. Judgment will be
based on the balance of evil deeds weighed against good deeds and works of merit such
as the faithful performance of the five pillars of Islam.15

The Sects of Islam

There are a variety of sects or divisions within Islam, the two largest being Sunni and Shī‘a.

Sunni. The largest group of Muslims is the “orthodox” Sunnis who make up 80-85% of
all Muslims. The name is derived from the fact that they follow the approved sunnah, or
path, of Muhammad as recorded in the Hadīth that have been accepted and codified as
genuine. They recognize the first four Caliphs (successors of Muhammad), but unlike the
Shī‘a, they attribute no special religious function to the descendants of Muhammad’s son-
in-law, Ali. Sunni Muslims are dominant is such countries as Egypt, Saudi Arabia,
Pakistan, and Indonesia.

Shī‘a. Shī‘a make up about 15% of all Muslims. The division between Sunni and Shī‘a
goes back to the disagreement over who should succeed Muhammad following his death.
The Shī‘a support Ali as the first Caliph and hold that all future Caliphs are descendants
from Ali. In Islam the Imam is the chief teacher in the local community and mosque.
However, Shī‘a generally recognize only exceptional teachers as imams.16 Differences
also exist between Sunni and Shī‘a over some doctrines, and over how Islam and its
beliefs should be practiced in the modern world. Shī‘a are the dominant Muslim group
in Iran, Iraq, and parts of Africa.

A Lutheran Response
In the present pluralistic context, many people may have the mistaken impression that Christians and
Muslims worship the same God—especially since Christianity and Islam are both monotheistic religions.
They may also think that the religions are more similar than dissimilar in other beliefs and practices.
However, the response given below will show, from a Lutheran perspective, the sharp contrast between
Christian teaching and the teachings of Islam as found in the Qur’ān. This evaluation will focus on three
key doctrinal areas—God, the person of Jesus Christ, and God’s work of salvation in Christ.

God. Lutherans confess the historic Christian teaching that the true God has revealed Himself to be the
Triune God, one God but three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This doctrine is confessed
in the historic ecumenical creeds of the Christian faith: Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds. These
creedal formulas sum up God’s self-revelation in the divinely inspired Scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments. In these Scriptures God has revealed Himself as the one and only true God (Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor.
8:4) who is three persons in one divine essence: Father (Mal. 2:10; 2 Cor. 1:2-3), Son (Matt. 3:17; John
20:31), and Holy Spirit (Is. 63:10-14; Acts 5:3-4). (See also Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:4; Eph. 4:4-6). Belief

15
7:6-9. “Then shall We question those to whom Our Message was sent and those by whom We sent it. And verily We shall recount
their whole story with knowledge, for We were never absent (at any time or place). The balance that day will be true (to a nicety):
those whose scale (of good) will be heavy, will prosper: those whose scale will be light will find their souls in perdition, for that they
wrongfully treated Our Signs.”
16
“The imams wield extreme spiritual authority over their subjects, seeking to uphold a strictly fundamentalist and fiercely
authoritarian interpretation of the [Qur’an].” George A. Mather, Larry A. Nichols, and Alvin J. Schmidt, Encyclopedic Dictionary of
Cults, Sects, and World Religions (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2006), 145.
 6

in this Triune God, who is love (1 John 4:16), is absolutely necessary for eternal salvation.17

Islam teaches that “there is no God but Allah.” In the Qur’ān, Allah has many attributes comparable to the
Triune God of Christianity. For example, he is “most compassionate, most merciful,” an attribute
mentioned in every sūrah except the ninth. The second sūrah teaches that Allah “heareth and knoweth all
things,” and that he is “oft-forgiving.” He has “power over all things.” However, no Muslim would ever
accept the biblical teaching that God is love. Since Allah is totally transcendent, he has no need for
another, and so it can never be said of God that he loved the world and gave his Son to die for it. In fact it
is impossible, according to the Qur’ān, for God to have a Son. Therefore, there can be no Triune God.
Lutherans hold that Islam misunderstands the doctrine of the Trinity when it concludes, and expressly so,
that Christians believe in three gods.18

Jesus Christ. Islam’s rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity is also seen in what it teaches concerning the
person of Jesus Christ. In the words of Martin Luther, Lutherans confess the Christian doctrine that Jesus
Christ “true God, begotten of the Father in eternity, and also a true human being, born of the Virgin Mary,
is my Lord.”19 This confession is based on the clear teaching of the Bible that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son
of God” (John 20:31; Matt. 16:16), to whom is ascribed the attributes of God such as all-knowing (John
21:17) and almighty (Matt. 28:18). Further, the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is also fully human (1 Tim.
2:5) with a human body (Luke 24:39) and human needs (Matt. 4:2) and emotions (John 11:35). Jesus is
both God and man in one person.

The Qur’ān, however, teaches that while Jesus is to be respected as one of Allah’s prophets, He was
nothing more than one of many human messengers of Allah. “O People of the Book! Commit no excesses
in your religion: nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a
Messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from Him: so
believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say not ‘Trinity’: desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is One
God: Glory be to Him: (far Exalted is He) above having a son.”20 To teach that Jesus Christ is “true God,
begotten of the Father in eternity” is, according to Islam, to speak blasphemy against Allah.

Salvation. Lutherans confess the biblical teaching that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
(Rom. 3:23) and that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). All people through Adam have inherited and
are born with a sinful condition (Rom. 5:12, 19a). This sinful condition manifests itself in sinful thoughts,
words, and deeds (Matt. 15:19). Human sin separates people from God (Is. 59:2), placing them under
God’s judgment and condemnation (Jer. 25:31; John 5:29; Rom. 1:18-32; 3:9-20; 5:16). But God is love
and He desires that all people be saved from sin and come to a knowledge of the truth revealed in Jesus
Christ (1 Tim. 2:4). This truth is that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting
peoples’ sins against them (2 Cor. 5:19). Such reconciliation to God (salvation) is possible because Jesus
Christ by His death on the cross made the “atoning sacrifice” for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).
He made peace between God and man “through His blood shed on the cross” (Col.1:20; see Rom. 3:25).
Further, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead showed Him to be the Son of God (Rom. 1:4) and demonstrated
His victory over sin and its wage, namely, death (1 Cor. 15:12-22). Sinners are thus declared to be
righteous before God (that is, they are justified) through faith in Jesus Christ. That is, they are given eternal
life in heaven not because of any merit or work on their part but only by the grace (undeserved mercy) of
God received through faith in (trusting) Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord (Eph. 2:8-9; Gal. 2:15-19;
17
The Athanasian Creed states: “Whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic [universal] faith…. And the catholic
faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confusing the persons not dividing the substance. For the
Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Holy Spirit is another. But the Godhead of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit is one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal…. Therefore, whoever desires to be saved must think thus about the Trinity.”
18
“They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except One God” (5:73). “And behold! Allah
will say: ’O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, ’Worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah’?’ He will
say: ’Glory to Thee! Never could I say what I had no right (to say)’” (5:116).
19
Luther’s Small Catechism, Explanation of the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed. (The Book of Concord, eds. Robert Kolb and
Timothy J. Wengert [Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000], 355.)
20
4:171. In a footnote on this verse, ‘Abdullah Yusuf ‘Ali writes: “The doctrines of the Trinity, equality with Allah, and sonship, are
repudiated as blasphemies. Allah is independent of all needs and has no need of a son to manage His affairs.” Footnote 676, 239. See
also 18:1-4; 19:30 with footnote 2483; 19:34-35 with footnotes 2486 and 2487.
 7

John 6:40).

It is evident that the teaching of Islam is incompatible with the Christian doctrine of salvation.21 According
to the Qur’ān, Jesus is not God, nor is He the Son of God. Thus, according to this understanding whatever
He accomplished in this life could certainly not atone for the sins of the world, in the Christian perspective.
In fact, the Qur’ān even goes so far as to deny that Jesus’ died by crucifixion on a cross: “That they said (in
boast) ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah’--but they killed him not, nor
crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them …for of a surety they killed him not--nay, Allah raised
him up unto Himself…”22

Islam does not have a concept of original sin as revealed in the Bible. Islam admits that people are inclined
to sin and disobey God. But Islam also claims that people are naturally capable of obedience that merits
God’s favor. The Muslim’s hope for the reward of an afterlife in heaven depends on tipping the scales of
judgment in his favor (see note 15): “Then when the Trumpet is blown, … those whose balance (of good
deeds) is heavy--they will attain salvation: but those whose balance is light, will be those who have lost
their souls; in Hell they will abide.”23 Thus, Islam teaches a righteousness before God based on human
merit, on a striving to please Allah by believing Islam’s fundamental beliefs and by practicing the daily,
annual, and once-in-a-lifetime requirements of the five Pillars of Islam. We may note, for example, the
following statements: “But it is righteousness--to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and
the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin,…; to be
steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity,….”24 “But those who believe and work deeds of
righteousness, and believe in the (Revelation) sent down to Muhammad--for it is the Truth from their Lord-
-He will remove from them their ills and improve their condition.”25

As they bear witness to God’s truth as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, Christians seek to act in kindness
and love toward their Muslim friends and neighbors. Christians need to maintain the integrity of their own
witness also by seeking properly to understand the Muslim faith and to represent it fairly and accurately.

For Further Reading

Ehlke, Roland Cap. Speaking the Truth in Love to Muslims. Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House,
2004.
Hahn, Ernest. Muslims. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1995.

21
A noted Islamic scholar and historian has made this point quite clear. He has stated: “It is Islam that has taught human beings that
the Lord their God is One and Only. That He has no partners, no wife, and no son, and that there can be no compromise on the unity
of God…. It is Islam that has taught humanity that God is absolutely Just and Merciful and that He will never punish one person for
the sins of others. Christianity teaches that Adam and Eve had bequeathed their sin to all their descendants and thus all humans are
born in this “Original Sin” and therefore Jesus Christ had to be sacrificed on the cross to redeem humanity of its ‘original sin.’ Islam
says, NO. Humans are not born in sin…. It is Islam that has taught humanity that righteous deeds are necessary for salvation. Faith
is indispensable, but not sufficient. Humans will be admitted to Paradise by their faith and their righteous acts. They have to go
together, hand in hand. Many Christian denominations teach that faith in Jesus is enough for salvation. If you accept Jesus sacrifice
on the cross, then you are saved regardless of what you may do afterwards because Jesus has already paid for all your sins. Islam
totally disagrees. No one can pay for your sins. Faith, doing righteousness, avoiding evil, and continuous repentance are the only
ways for salvation.” http://www.themodernreligion.com/basic/islam-offer.html. “What do today’s Muslims need and what does Islam
have to offer?“ An introductory remark gives the following information. “This is an acclaimed Eid-ul-fitr khutba (edited) given by
Dr. Sherif Abdel Azeem Mohammad in Kingston, Ontario, Canada in early 1997.…”
22
4:157-158. In footnotes accompanying these verses (p. 236) it is stated that a cardinal point of Christian doctrine is that Jesus died
on the cross, was buried, on the third day rose in the body, and afterwards was taken up bodily to heaven. The following statement is
then made: “This is necessary for the theological doctrine of blood sacrifice and vicarious atonement for sins, which is rejected by
Islam.” If Jesus did not die then He could not rise from the dead. Concerning the words “Allah raised him up”, the following is
stated: “One school holds that Jesus did not die the usual human death, but still lives in the body in heaven, which is the generally
accepted Muslim view.”
23
23:101-102. Footnote 2942 states: “Good and evil deeds will be weighed against each other. If the good deeds prevail, the soul will
attain … prosperity, well-being, bliss, or salvation; if the contrary, there will be the misery and anguish of Hell.”
24
2:177
25
47:2
 8

Lippman,Thomas. Understanding Islam: An Introduction to the Muslim World. New York: Penguin Group,
1995.
Miller, Roland E. Muslim Friends: Their Faith and Feeling—An Introduction to Islam. St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1995.
Nichols, Larry A. , Mather, George A., and Schmidt, Alvin. Encyclopedia Dictionary of Cults, Sects, and
World Religions. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006.
Partridge, Christopher ed., New Religions: A Guide. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.
Rippin, Andrew. Muslims: Their religious beliefs and practices. New York: Routledge, 1990.

Links and Websites

http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/islam.html
http://www.equip.org/site/c.muI1LaMNJrE/b.2738181/k.B9F8/DM809.htm
http://www.equip.org/site/c.muI1LaMNJrE/b.2724771/k.B78A/DI2251.htm
http://www.equip.org/site/c.muI1LaMNJrE/b.2724773/k.B812/DI2252.htm
http://www.equip.org/site/c.muI1LaMNJrE/b.2724779/k.B99A/DI2253.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam